I'm starting this thread because, coincidentally, my first child was born in 2000, and since then I've only able to see about a dozen films a year in the theater, My dvd viewing has been almpst strictly pre-2000 films. So let me know what I need to check out. My favorites: A.I. 2000 Steven Spielberg Mulholland Dr. 2001 David Lynch USA The Deep End 2001 Scott McGehee USA In the Bedroom 2001 Todd Field USA The Bourne Identity 2002 Doug Liman USA Punch Drunk Love 2002 Paul Thomas Anderson USA Traffic 2002 Steven Soderberg USA Mystic River 2003 Clint Eastwood USA Once Upon a Time in Mexico 2003 Robert Rodriguez USA Notre Musique 2004 Jean-Luc Godard France Man on Fire 2004 Tony Scott USA Pride and Prejudice 2005 Joe Wright England
I really need to see Notre Musique. Off the top of my head... Birth (2004) d. Jonathon Glazer Pride and Prejudice (2005) d. Joe Wright In the Mood for Love (2000) d. Wong Kar Wai Before Sunset (2000) d. Linklater Sprited Away (2001) d. Miyazaki Cache (2005) d. Haneke A History of Violence (2005) d. Cronenberg All the Real Girls (2004) d. David Gordon Green You already knocked out In the Bedroom and Mystic River which woulda rounded out a top 10 for me.
Wow. I greatly disliked that movie, mostly for the Speilberg-esque touches. The crazy 80s motorcycle gang with neon suits, the Pinocchio crazy-town. I'd think Minority Report would easily take it's place. Being a Cruise/Speilberg movie I'm still shocked how much I like that film (although even in that film Speilberg can't resist putting in bullshit like the flame from a JetPack frying hamburgers on the grill during a fight scene, which completely takes me out of the picture).
For the same reason as Gringo's lack of theatre attendence, I've barely seen any films as they come out (or even close really). As far as AI, I know GT is a big fan but I have to admit I was furiously against it when it came out. Something was just not right about it. The concept is great, hey how often do we say that about a movie, but something in the telling left me cold (same with "Vanilla Sky"). I've come around a bit, themeatically it is getting at one of the Big Questions, and I've always got time for that. Maybe I need to give it another viewing. "Minority Report" was entertaining enough for what it was. I'll probably get flamed to death but I really liked "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Lost in Translation". You may recall my Cool Cred Card at any time. For the record doing decade reviews before the wrap up of said decade should be against the rules (please see the "Trouser Press Guide to 90s Rock") BTW "the End of Violence" directed by Wenders.
Jeez, thanks. I meant a History of Violence and I just fixed it. I am in the dissenting camp for A.I. too. It seemed, like so many Spielberg movies to have a decent first half before just falling apart as the story went on and got more Steviefied. Personally, I think he's much better at childrens movies/stories like ET where his sensibilities make more sense than he is with material like A.I. or Minority Report.
I've heard of all but one of those and seen a whole lot of 'em. Who are you and what have you done with my GringoTex?
The Descent. Simply put if you like horror movies or liked films such as Deliverance, The Shining and Alien, you will love this.
Here are my favorites: The Wedding Crashers Old School Gangs of New York Moulin Rouge American Beauty (imdb says it came out in 1999, but AFLette and I saw it in the theater together and we weren't dating in 1999.) Anchorman Irreversable Bring It On The Royal Tennenbaums Lost in Translation
Of the top of my head, these are some must-see films that haven't been listed yet (in order of preference): Memento - Christopher Nolan The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Wes Anderson O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Coen Brothers The Man Who Wasn't There - Coen Brothers Adaptation. - Spike Jonze In my opinion, Memento makes a short top all-time list. Oh, since I lost my Cool Cred Card a long time ago, I'll add Finding Nemo to the list.
Almost Famous X2 X-Men United Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl The Bourne Identity Memento The Man Who Wasn't There Napoleon Dynamite School of Rock Hotel Rwanda Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Garden State Super Size Me The Exorcism of Emily Rose Walk the Line United 93 Scoop Little Miss Sunshine
Off the top of my head. The Descent 28 Days Later Unbreakable Almost Famous Gosford Park Chocolat Requiem for a Dream Quills Lord of the Ring trilogy Spirited Away The Incredibles Sideways Good Night and Good Luck Syriana City of God L'auberge Espagnole Y tu Mama Tambien The Motorcycle Diaries The Dreamers Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith
Good Night and Good Luck City of God Y tu Mama Tambien Wonder Boys Mulholland Dr. Amores Perros Mar Adentro Hable con Ella Adaptation
Amores Perros (2000, d. Alejandro Gonzalez Inirritu) In the Mood for Love (2000, d. Wong Kar-Wai) Elephant (2003, d. Gus Van Sant) George Washington (2000, d. David Gordon Green) Grizzly Man (2005, d. Werner Herzog) Mulholland Drive (2001, d. David Lynch) The New World (2005, d. Terrence Malick) Ratcatcher (2000, d. Lynne Russell) Requiem for a Dream (2000, d. Darren Aronofsky) United 93 (2006, d. Paul Greengrass) I really need to laugh more, don't I. Little Miss Sunshine is up there close. Maybe Royal Ts.
These are the films that I consider the ten best of the new millenium (that I've seen), listed in alphabetical order: AI (S Spielberg, 2001, USA) The Best of Youth (M Giordana, 2003, Italy) Caché (M Haneke, 2005, France) City of God (F Mereilles, 2002, Brasil) Grizzly Man (W Herzog, 2005, USA) A History of Violence (D Cronenburg, 2005, Canada/USA) In the Mood for Love (K Wong, 2000, China) The Incredibles (B Bird, 2004, USA) Mulholland Dr (D Lynch, 2001, USA) Talk to Her (P Almodovar, 2002, Spain) Also worth noting: Spirited Away (H Miyazaki, 2001, Japan) Bad Education (P Almodovar, 2004, Spain) The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (T Lee Jones, 2005, USA) Pride and Prejudice (J Wright, 2005, England) 2046 (K Wong, 2004, China) Finding Nemo (A Stanton and L Unkrich, 2003, USA) Batman Begins (C Nolan, 2005, USA) Here are some of the best films that I've seen in 2006 (in no particular order): Inside Man (dir. Spike Lee) - The plot is crap, but Lee's subtle commentary on race relations in post-9/11 New York is fascinating to watch unfold. Also features Denzel at the top of his game. The Proposition (dir. John Hilcoat) - Nick Cave's somewhat muddled screenplay aside, this is a fascinating film on Australia's frontier "West." Tsotsi (dir. Gavin Hood) - Sachharine? A little, but it's only fitting for the country that gave the world the Truth and Reconciliation Committee. A Scanner Darkly (dir. Richard Linklater) - Fine work from Linklater makes this one of the very best, if not the best, film adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story. Robert Downey Jr. delivers an awesome supporting performance.
City of God Amelie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Amores Perros Gangs of New York Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Nueve Reinas Mystic River
Ummmmmmm........ I found Scanner Darkly to be so-so. Thin story, which Linklater must have realized, so he went with the animation. Knew who the partner was from early in the game. Hated how often things went into voiceover and exposition. Tsotsi also so-so. Inside Man is very good. Proposition is near brilliant, and nearly made my list. United 93, Bubble, and Little Miss Sunshine are the other four-star films so far.
I like Blade Runner, and think that, on its own merits, it's an excellent motion picture, probably a better motion picture than A Scanner Darkly, but I don't think it's a better adaptation of a Dick story. Subtle difference, but an important distinction nevertheless. Personally, I don't think Linklater went with the animation because his story was thin (which is what you're implying, no?). I think he made the decision, because the story screams out for it. It makes the scramble suits and the aphids possible, and it enhances the performances of the actors by magnifying and drawing attention to each and every expression. Linklater is, for my money, the best director of dialogue working in the United States. That A Scanner Darkly is heavy on dialogue and light on action and even plot shouldn't worry. It's ideas that matter here, and Dick's own horrifying vision of "seven years from now" is not only terrifyingly prescient (in light of Haliburton, etc.) but also delightfully whacked out, and Linklater represents all of that gloriously here. One more film I should add for this year's best films is District B13, a French action film which showed all too briefly here and made very little money. That's a shame because it's a far more entertaining and well choreographed action film than any number of the bloated American blockbusters I've seen this year. Oh BTW, we're getting totally off topic. I'd be happy to continue the conversation via PM if you'd like.
I really like this movie and this is the first time I've seen someone else mention it. Well, it's not like I wander around the boards randomly bringing the movie up, but still. As an adaptation, Blade Runner is junk. As a film, it rocks my socks. Anyway...I have a really hard time remembering films I've seen. Maybe it's cos not many of them really stick with me, I dunno. So I'm gonna totally steal stuff off of other people's lists. The Bourne Identity School of Rock Hotel Rwanda The Incredibles The Others There are others that I'll admit are more sentimental (like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban...I hadn't read the books or seen the movies beforehand but I was bored and watched it anyway, and it's what got me into the series, and I'm happy that it did) rather than 'the best' in the terms of this thread.
Can't believe I forgot Best of Youth, A Very Long Engagement, Talk to Her, and Amores Perros. I will also say that A Scanner Darkly is likely the best film I've seen in the theater this year. And I can't be the only one who was completely floored by Birth, right?